Thursday, February 28, 2013

The return to free falling food in CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 looks to be more of the same funny material and a visual smorgasbord of treats.

Featuring the voices of Andy Samberg, Terry Crews, Benjamin Bratt and Neil Patrick Harris, Sony Pictures Animation is hoping for another audience embrace at the box office. The original movie made $243m worldwide - and that's not hard to swallow for the studio!

Here's the storyline for the movie:In the wake of the disastrous food storm at the end of the first movie, Flint Lockwood and friends are forced to leave their town of Swallow Falls. But when it is discovered that sentient food beasts have overrun the island, they are asked to return to save the world…again.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

IRON MAN 3 is looking extremely inviting right about now. Seems the Iron Legion rumors have been verified here. For those not in the know, the Iron Legion are a series of suits created and controlled by Tony Stark through Extremis (nanotechnology). Apparently these suits have interchangeable parts to enable various configurations of weapons, defense, etc.

Question: Are the suits on his side or has The Mandarin managed to gain control of them in the poster? Thoughts?

Here's the movies storyline:Marvel’s IRON MAN 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Monday, February 25, 2013

Definitely much better. While I liked the suit in Marc Webb's first web-head effort, this is more along the lines of what I was anticipating all along. A modern slant on the original comic suit. White eyes. Traditional red and blue tones. Perfect. Love it.

More when we get it!

Here's the movie's storyline:In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, for Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy – between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can’t come quickly enough. Peter hasn’t forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away – but that’s a promise he just can’t keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past.

So what's cooking now? How about Alfonso Cuaron getting up close and personal? I mentioned Episode VIII, but it could be Episode IX as well (or both for that matter). I would LOVE to see a STARS WARS movie directed by Cuaron. So many people are going to have the light turned on as to how brilliant a director he is after they see GRAVITY this year.

Anyway, I won't further spoil the spy info - so read on and we'll discuss afterwards!

READ ON...

As far as I know Episode 7 was then, and is now, focusing on the Skywalker's offspring. As I told you before, I believe duel personalities develop, akin to Anakin and Obi Wan, and Luke and Vader in the first trilogies, which as far as I am aware, is the driving force behind the new trilogy. Things may change however, but I doubt it, this has been long in the making.The focus is on the original trilogy in regards of reverence and tone. Remember I told you before that the tone was important, well I believe they are really taking that seriously. From everything I know, they're focusing on that directly. Remember everything has the ability to change drastically, as Star Wars right now apart from the twin trilogies is a huge blank canvas. However, the trilogies ongoing narrative will continue to focus on that particular branch, whereas the stand alone movies, will fill and expand the voids in between in multiple timelines, and have potential to then be franchised themselves in regards to the worlds they open up.Yoda, Palpatine, Jabba, Boba, Plagueis etc.I believe they are very clued into what fans would and wouldn't like, and considering Mr Ford himself may not be done with his character yet, I wouldn't start picketing Lucasfilm about young Han Solo movies being made just yet. Which I was led to believe couldn't be further from how they want to move forward creatively anyway.Harrison Ford has been approached, he has not turned it down, and is from everything I hear, very interested in returning to the role of Han Solo again, but is not signed as was reported recently. Negotiating may be a better choice of words right now. Hope it shakes out.Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were also approached a long time ago, as was ford, and a few other key players. I would all but guarantee, they will be in Episode 7, and I would be confident that Ford will return too. If the universe aligns correctly.J.J. Abrams name was brought up to me numerous times, but only in reference to re-brand and ground up respect for world building that the franchise was looking to take back then. Very sneaky. Interesting to see he was offered the most coveted and feared gig in cinema history. Ultimately he is the perfect choice to direct episode 7, and set up the franchise to steward through the first trilogy. The names I mentioned to you before, remember them(EDITOR'S NOTE: my source's director list can be found here). Alfonso Cuaron especially. Trust me.J.J. Abrams mystery cube or whatever he is calling it today, is in full effect, Star Wars news is going to be very thin on the ground for the foreseeable future, but expect Simon Pegg to be involved in some capacity. Can't say why, but lets just say I have a strong feeling about that. Star Wars fans, Kathleen and J.J have your interests at heart.

So, very interesting!! And what is Simon Pegg doing with STAR WARS?Ideas?Is he jumping with Abrams in some fashion? Clearly he is deep in STAR TREK but being the miracle worker that Scotty is, apparently Pegg is needed in the STAR WARS universe as well!And Cuaron? Hopefully that happens. As of right now it is in the works, so fingers crossed! More exclusive STAR WARS, AVATAR and HOBBIT info when I get it!

Friday, February 22, 2013

Yes! This is what I was hoping for all along! I wanted a fresh take on The Mandarin and it looks like we are getting it. I think everyone kind of took a step back when we heard Ben Kingsley's accent for The Mandarin in the trailer for IRON MAN 3 - and I still don't know what to make of it! That's the beauty of it - so abstract. Where are they going with this character?

Well know we get a much better taste through this single character poster. And I am loving it! You can see the Asian influence on the sleeves and pants and yet it is unmistakeably camouflage. He is posed as a thinker with a heavy weight upon him. I'm liking the incense burning behind him and the what are those... dog tags in the right foreground shadow?

Creates a lot more questions for me, but the desire to see IRON MAN 3 has just been kicked up a notch!IRON MAN 3 opens on May 3.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Tim here, and new motion poster has been released for STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS! I'm sorry to say it's Flash and not HTML5, so you mobile users had better wait to get to a desktop, or laptop, computer to check it out. It's really cool and you won't be disappointed. The best part is the narration from Benedict Cumberbatch: the movie's main antagonist.

Here's the storyline for the movie:When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Yes - Mark Hamill has chimed in on the story we broke back in Novemberthat the original cast will be back for the third trilogy, the real possibility of including the Skywalker offspring as characters and that the tone of the new trilogy will be much closer to Ep IV, V and VI then I, II and III.

I've been paying very close attention to franchisedevelopments especially since we broke the story that there will indeed be a new STAR WARS trilogy and that it will be in 3D. In fact, Steve Sansweet even had the gall to to call our story ignorant and stupid. One of the beautiful things about the Internet is that it never forgets :-)Anyway, Hamill had a few things to say on the subject:(On whether he will appear in STAR WARS VII): "They're talking to us. George [Lucas] wanted to know whether we'd be interested. He did say that if we didn't want to do it, they wouldn't cast another actor in our parts – they would write us out. … I can tell you right away that we haven't signed any contracts. We're in the stage where they want us to go in and meet with Michael Arndt, who is the writer, and Kathleen Kennedy, who is going to run Lucasfilm. Both have had meetings set that were postponed -- on their end, not mine. They're more busy than I am."(On the tone he would like to see used with STAR WARS VII): "I said to George that I wanted to go back to the way it was, in the sense that ours was much more carefree and lighthearted and humorous – in my opinion, anyway. And another thing I'd want to make sure of is are we going to have the whole gang back? Is Carrie and Harrison and Billy Dee and Tony Daniels, everybody that's around from the original [returning]? I want to make sure that everybody's on board here, rather than just one. I guess I'll have to tune into your show to figure out who's on board.""I'm assuming, because I haven't talked to the writers, that these movies would be about our offspring -- like my character would be sort of in the Obi-Wan range [as] an influential character. ...'Well, I'm going to wind up like Sir Alec [Guinness]. I'm going to be a lonely old hermit living out in some kind of desert igloo with a couple of robots.'"

"I hope they find the right balance of CGI with practical effects. I love props, I love models, miniatures, matte paintings -- I'm sort of old school. I think if you go too far in the direction of CGI it winds up looking like just a giant a video game, and that's unfortunate. … If they listen to me at all, it'll be, 'Lighten up and go retro with the way it looks."

So a fair amount of things to say with the end result being bang on with what we presented. I'll have more information on the new trilogy and hopefully the spinoffs when I get in touch with our magnificent source with knowledge of the situation!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

**UPDATE - Feb 22: Apparently this is all just a rumor and nothing has been substantiated. This is from a reliable person with knowledge of the franchise. Oh well, one can wish can't one?

This is very interesting news indeed! I love the earlier Bond films and yes, Sean Connery is my favorite Bond - by a wide margin. Apparently DR. NO, the first of the James Bond franchise movies, has been converted to 3D and is now available in Asia for purchase on Blu-ray 3D.

No word on when the disc will be available in North America retail and online outlets.

That being said there is a possibility of an IMAX 3D theatrical release of the DR. NO conversion because of a posting on Moviefone listing DR. NO: IMAX 3D. Coincidence? I think not. Stay tuned for more info when we get it!

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Hmmm. This looks GOOD. Perhaps it's because Franco is not in the scene but this clip looks very, VERY good. Great acting and significant conflict was built up in what, 30 seconds?

This is a Sam Raimi movie after all - we should all know that it's going to be a great time at the cinema. *AND* it's shot in native 3D using 3ality Technica rigs, so the visuals should also be top notch.

Here is the official storyline:Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot – fame and fortune are his for the taking – that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity – and even a bit of wizardry – Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

All of that has been been proven correct and verified by Lucasfilm (eventually - they denied it at first of course) and Disney.

Let's skip ahead to November 2, 2012 now, when we broke yet another exclusive story that the third trilogy (EP VII, VIII and IX) will in fact bring back the original stars including Harrison Ford as Hans Solo. Yeah, this is old news. Ford may be close to signing something, but the fact that the story involves him and that he may have already been approached is MarketSaw's story.

It's nice to know that all of our STAR WARS exclusives are coming true (just like all of our AVATAR and HOBBIT exclusives) but it does irk me that other sites claim to have the exclusives on these things. Not by a long shot.

Keep checking back with us if you want to be the first to know, months if not YEARS before other sites. More STAR WARS and AVATAR news soon!!

Here's the movie's storyline:I FRANKENSTEIN is a modern-day epic: Frankenstein’s creature, ADAM (Eckhart), has survived to present day due to a genetic quirk in his creation. Making his way to a dark, gothic metropolis, he finds himself caught in an all-out, centuries old war between two immortal clans.

Normally I find TV Spots lacking in new content but Jon Chu's G.I. JOE: RETALIATION is here to save the day! Check these two new TV spots...

Here's the movie's storyline:In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe(R) characters.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Our exposure so far with director Bryan Singer's JACK THE GIANT SLAYER has been rather low key if you ask me. There's been nothing too dark about it. Up until now that is. Check out the latest trailer for JACK and note the differences. I think they should have started out with this tact and worked into an even more darker place - but then again perhaps the movie just doesn't go there.

Regardless the new trailer is the best of the lot. Enjoy!

Here's the storyline for the movie:Jack the Giant Slayer tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend—and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

One Direction has taken off in only one direction - straight up. Naturally it makes sense that they would follow in the footsteps of Justin Bieber and Katy Perry and release a 3D movie featuring some behind the scenes footage as well as on stage.But it's not just any documentary. It is being helmed by Morgan Spurlock (SUPERSIZE ME) so you can expect some interesting stories, surprises and above all entertainment. My daughter will definitely be looking forward to seeing this!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Definitely recommended. TOP GUN 3D delivers of the action and memories of the original Tom Cruise movie but with depth and added emotion.

Legend3D is responsible for the 3D conversion and they did an outstanding job considering that the original was not 4K remastered. It was fascinating to see an old school "film" converted for IMAX because you can see the film grain and obviously that would present some issues for a conversion. And yet Legend3D delivered. Yes there were some small items of note (the beach volleyball scene has some very tiny issues with the net that lasted about 2 seconds) but overall I was shocked at how well the whole thing looked blown up on a huge IMAX screen.Some of the scenes must be addressed individually because they looked stunning in 3D. The POV shot overlooking the tail (with smoke streamers) of the navy jet after takeoff - WOW. The runway night shot with the flashing landing lights and Cruise's motorcycle nearby looked great. One of the highlights is seeing a 3 dimensional view of a reflection in the jet's cockpit canopy glass - amazing.

The emotional scenes draw you in more in 3D. You feel like you are in that blistering hot aircraft carrier about to get chewed out for a tower flyby. It's a rather intense experience to see a movie that you watched over and over again in younger years presented in such a modern, immersive fashion. It's almost dreamlike.

And finally, this was a Tony Scott film. If you're a fan then what better way to celebrate his memory than to go to the cinema and see one of his better films on the big screen. You may not have another chance like this one. Think about Scott's warm use of color, his attention to time of day scenes, intense, emotional closeups and his use of soundtrack. Frankly I was in awe of his ability to simply create a blockbuster movie! The resources and cooperation needed to pull off TOP GUN was staggering.

If you haven't seen TOP GUN let alone TOP GUN 3D, then don't wait - get out and see it! It's only in IMAX theaters for less than a week now. Trust me, if you liked the original classic movie then you'll love TOP GUN 3D.TOP GUN 3D is also now available forpreorder in Blu-ray at Amazon.

Friday, February 08, 2013

I had the privilege of attending this years International 3D Society's 3D Creative Arts Awards Ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel's Crystal Ballroom and I must say I was very impressed with the evening! Kudos to Jim Chabin (President), Tom Cosgrove (Co-Chairman), Dan Schinasi (Co-Chairman) and the rest of their organization for an entertaining and full slate.For me, the highlights were of course meeting a couple of my favorite movie industry personalities in Ang Lee (winner of three awards tonight - note I am quite a bit taller than he is, so I held my camera lower for my interview with him) and Leonard Maltin. I'll have more from them in later posts - stay tuned!

The room also paid a tribute to Ray Zone, the "3D King Of Hollywood" who passed away November 13, 2012.

I constantly had conversations going all night with all my 3D friends from around the globe and I'm really looking forward to doing it again next year.

The International 3D Society bestowed 25 honors for “distinguished achievement” in the 3D Creative Arts Awards Wednesday night at a black-tie ceremony held at the Beverly Hills hotel in Los Angeles. “Life of Pi” (20th Century Fox) swept several categories including: Best Live Action 3D Feature, Best Stereography – Live Action, and 3D Sequence/Moment of the Year. Two of the Society’s Lumiere™ statuettes were presented to: “Brave” (Pixar Animation Studios) for Best Animated 3D feature, and Best Stereography – Animation. “The Avengers” (Paramount Pictures) was honored for Best Use of 2D to 3D Conversion in 2012. ‘”Katy Perry: Part of Me” won in the category of Best Motion Picture Live Event.

DreamWorks Animation (DWA) was honored with the Sir Charles Wheatstone Award for education and distinguished achievement for 3D body of work.

Panasonic Corporation was honored with the Society’s Century Award for its support of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games 3D broadcasts from London.

In television categories, 3net won Best Documentary for “Sky Soldier – The Vietnam War in 3D.” ESPN won Best Live Sports Broadcast for its 3D telecast of the 2012 BCS College Championship Game. Volkswagen Germany was awarded a Lumiere™ for Best 3D Commercial. Bwark Productions and Sky UK were honored for Best 3DTV Short Subject Program for “Little Crackers,” and PGS and Sky Italia won a statuette for Best 3DTV Entertainment Program for “The Little Prince.” The “Britney Spears: Femme Fatale Tour” 3D concert telecast won a Lumiere™ for Best 3DTV Entertainment.

Universal Studios Hollywood received a Lumiere™ statuette for Best Themed Attraction, “Transformers: The Ride.”

“The sheer volume and quality of work across all platforms was extraordinary this year,” said Buzz Hays, the Society’s Awards Committee Chairman.

“Our theme for the night was ‘Our Story Begins.’ Our honorees demonstrated that 3D is really just beginning to tell its story. But, the quality and breadth of content is very impressive,” said Society President, Jim Chabin.

In addition, two more 3D Technology Awards were presented to RealD, and Innoventive Software.

The program was held in the Crystal Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Host Leonard Maltin, was assisted by actress Jackie Lloyd, granddaughter of Harold Lloyd, and singer/actress Meagan Chase. Voting was conducted during the month of January by 400 of the Society’s voting members.

About the International 3D Society And 3D@Home Consortium
The International 3D Society and 3D@Home Consortium advances 3D content, products and adoption through recognition, networking, communication for professionals and consumers. With over 60 companies and 500 professional members, the organization honors the year’s best during its 3D Technology and 3D Creative Awards programs; hosts worldwide meetings, workshops and demonstrations; and manages many online resources to assist consumers and professionals to further understand and integrate 3D into their lives. Visit: www.International3DSociety.com, www.3DatHome.org, and 3DUniversity.net to explore the full range of 3D information available.

Society Information
Nick Urbom, (310) 880-2415Nick@international3Dsociety.comI'll keep you guys in the loop as the coming year moves along toward another banner 3D year and the 3D Creative Awards that honors those accomplishments. Of all the original material we saw at the show, I think Little Crackers by Bwark Productions and Sky UK was the most fun. Brilliant material! I highly recommend watching that 3DTV Short. Of course most of us have seen LIFE OF PI and BRAVE, but if you haven't - try to see them in theaters!

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Tim here. Very exciting news today!!! First we know the date when The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will hit shelves on 3D Blu-Ray and DVD: March 17th, with an early digital release on March 12th. Plus came word of a special sneek peek of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on March 24th at 3PM Eastern/12PM Pacific.Here's the official Press Release:
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), arriving on Digital Download on March 12th and on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and 2-Disc DVD Special Edition on March 19th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. All disc versions feature UltraViolet and over 130 minutes of bonus content. The first of a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” which is nominated for three Academy Awards*, is an epic adventure that immerses audiences once again in the fantastical world of Middle-earth. The March 19th home entertainment release will be followed by an Extended Edition in time for the holidays.

In addition, Peter Jackson will host a live first look at “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second film in The Hobbit Trilogy, on Sunday, March 24th at 3:00PM Eastern/Noon Pacific. Content will be streamed live and an edited version will be archived on the Trilogy’s official website. Access to the live event will be limited to holders of an UltraViolet code available by purchasing “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack or 2-Disc Special Edition DVD. Select digital retailers will issue access codes upon purchase of the film.
Visit www.thehobbit.com/sneak for more information.

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and DVD Special Edition contain the following special features:
Full Suite of Peter Jackson’s Production Videos. Enter Middle-earth of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Academy Award-winning Director Peter Jackson takes you behind the scenes, on location and amidst the star-studded cast in a series of video journals that puts you in the forefront of latest in filmmaking with more than two hours of additional content. Highlights of the journals include:

Start of Production

Location Scouting

Filming in 3D

Post-production Overview

Wellington World Premiere

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On March 12th, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be available for download from online retailers including iTunes, Xbox, PlayStation, Amazon, Vudu and CinemaNow.
The film will also available digitally in High Definition (HD) VOD and Standard Definition (SD) VOD from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.ULTRAVIOLET
*UltraViolet allows you to collect watch and share movies and TV shows in a whole new way. Available with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs, DVDs and Digital Downloads, UltraViolet lets you create a digital collection of movies and TV shows. Services such as Flixster and VUDU allow you to instantly stream and download UltraViolet content across a wide range of devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players. Restrictions and limitations apply. Go to www.ultraviolet.flixster.com/info for details. Learn about VUDU compatible devices at www.vudu.com.

Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Here's a second interview I completed today - this time with Samsung's Dan Schinasi and what his state of the union on 3D looks like. Join me in welcoming Dan to MarketSaw along with Samsung's amazing 3D products and industry support!

Jim Dorey: Dan, being in senior marketing management at Samsung as well as co-chairing the I3DS must take up most of your time! How do you manage to stay on top of two such dynamic organizations?

Dan Schinasi: It’s a balancing act but one that I take pride in. One that leverages my passion for marketing the world’s greatest TVs and the incredible 3D experience they are capable of delivering. Of course none of it would be possible without the support of my Samsung colleagues and management as well as the dedicated and professional leadership at I3DS!

JD:Speaking of the I3DS, what are you most proud of during the past 12 months?DS: There have been a number of accomplishments that I share with my Co-Chair Tom Cosgrove, I3DS President Jim Chabin, and his terrific staff. The first is the successful merger of I3DS and 3D@Home. The combined organizations complement each other; our combined membership spans the entire 3D spectrum: we have members from all parts of the globe representing studios, broadcasters, content creators, the medical community, eyewear manufacturers, exhibition equipment makers, as well as CE companies. All of whom have a passion of seeing 3D thrive.

JD:What do you see happening with 3D over the next quarter? Next 6 months?DS: On the consumer and production side, we will see continuous growth and consumer adoption of 3D in theatrical and home entertainment. We will further collaborate with researchers to better understand the hidden benefits of 3D, how we can continue to push the technology forward, as well as other applications.

JD: There are still misnomers and missteps when the media covers 3D; why do you suppose that is?DS: There was significant promotion around the launch of 3D TV back when it was introduced in January of 2010. At the time there was not an abundance of content to enjoy and the media focused on that fact (the same misconception was apparent for HD content after HDTV’s entered the marketplace in the 90s). There was also a fair amount of confusion regarding the use of 3D technology that led to factually incorrect stories such as prohibitively expensive 3D gear to enjoy the technology at home. I3DS and its members are passionate about the technology and happy to educate the community about the technology and experiences available.

JD: The 3D Awards are coming up on Feb 6 - what are you most looking forward to during the evening?DS: I’m most looking forward to meeting industry colleagues and the awards ceremony. In particular, honoring Ang Lee for his dedication and artistic capabilities in 3D production. There are a handful but growing number of producers that effectively use 3D as a tool to complement the story line. We are excited to reward Ang Lee for joining this expanding circle of producers.

JD: Thanks for your time today Dan! Appreciate all the time you put into 3D from multiple fronts and continued success!DS: Thank you Jim!

Monday, February 04, 2013

I'm going to meeting many, many key individuals in Hollywood and beyond within the 3D motion picture industry in the coming days and I will be bringing you all up to speed with what is happening lately and what we can expect in the coming year(s). These guys are in the know. It's exciting to see the energy surrounding the 3D standard and the huge year ahead of us. I'll be introducing you to these various individuals so that you too can get the full picture.

Today I'm speaking with Jim Chabin, President of the International 3D Society. It's obvious how energetic and passionate he is about 3D but it's his ability to channel all that energy into the greater good of 3D that makes him unique for his important role.

Jim Dorey:Hi Jim, great talking with you again! Let's jump right into it: What are you most proud of during the past 12 months?Jim Chabin: Plenty to be thrilled about. After honoring Martin Scorsese and our 3D professionals last year at the 3D Awards we've embarked upon an exciting year. Probably of most note is the tremendous growth of 3D internationally, especially in China. We spent some time in Asia and we're really just at the beginning here. Our society members continue to expand their markets and business as 3D unfolds further into the world markets. Just recently we're teaming up with MarketSaw in bringing together timely and accurate information to the media. We've got news stories, recent stats, a list of executives in the 3D industry willing to give quotes or interviews whenever needed and much more coming.

JD: What do you think of Lucasfilm's recent decision to postpone STAR WARS EPISODES II and III?

JC: It really doesn't have to be complicated as some would make it out to be. They are probably looking at better ways of doing things just as they have in the past and will continue to do. This is part of the reason why our new mutual initiative with MarketSaw is so important. We need to have the correct information out there. That list of 3D Executives you have accumulated to assist with future media stories involving our space will be a great asset! Disney is huge on 3D. I'm anxious to see their cutting edge 3D technology used with the STAR WARS franchise as they have with their Disney, Marvel and Pixar brands.

JD: And we just heard the recent announcement of WORLD WAR Z going 3D!

JC: Exactly. There's something new everyday. Of course I can't comment on some of the projects that we know are going stereoscopic 3D, but suffice to say there are more coming and we're thrilled.

JD: What's on your plate Jim - what can we expect in the coming months?

JC: Well we're honoring Ang Lee on Wednesday night at the Beverly Hills Hotel for his outstanding work in 3D for LIFE OF PI, along with all the other deserving award winners like DreamWorks Animation. It's a night we all look forward to every year. We are honoring Panasonic for making the Olympics 3D broadcasts a reality last year. It's also exciting to hear that we can look forward to over 50 3D feature films in theaters in 2013! Later this month we are presenting to the Association of National Advertisers annual media leadership meeting - these are the brand management senior leadership, so that's an incredible new opportunity for our industry. Getting national ad brands into 3D! And we have engaged our colleagues in cable at the highest level to get better information on the benefits of getting all these 3D TV 's activated with content from 3net, ESPN and others... So our plate is definitely pretty full!

JD: Thanks for taking the time to speak with me on this today - I know this is crunch time before the awards on Wednesday.

Millennium has tapped Renny Harlin (DIE HARD 2, CLIFFHANGER) to direct their version of the Greek demigod in HERCULES 3D which is being positioned to be the first of two Hercules movies to be released in 2014.

If you will remember, Dwayne Johnson has been inked to star in HERCULES for Paramount and MGM. Their release date is August 8, 2014 while Harlin is aiming for March 2014.

And he comments on the competitive productions: "I think these are very different kinds of movies in their approach to this legendary character. Obviously, Hercules has been portrayed in many different films, such as the Disney animated movie. I wish them luck. Ancient Greek mythology is an endless source of good stories ... Let's see both movies be successful."

Budget for HERCULES 3D is believed to be in the $70m range. No word on native 3D vs. conversion yet. More when I get it!

Sunday, February 03, 2013

I just experienced the TRANSFORMERS 3D Ride at Universal and WOW - thrilling! I had a Front Of The Line pass so I was able to see it multiple times and it never got old. One scene in particular involving a floor of a building (if you've seen it you know what I mean) is just jaw dropping. I won't say more! See it for yourself!!

And a great way to break into a post about the movie franchise too! With Michael Bay's recent muse Mark Wahlberg (PAIN AND GAIN) joining him, Michael Bay is coming back to his Transformers franchise in a different way with TRANSFORMERS 4 kicking off a new trilogy of movies.

So where do you suppose he's going with this movie?

Here's what Bay had to say about TRANSFORMERS 4 recently:“We’re going to start off smaller. There’s a brand new cast. To freshen the franchise we’ve redesigned everything from top to bottom. The history of the first three movies is still there, we start four years later and there’s a reason why we’re meeting a new cast.Mark is really excited about it and it’s a great redesign. I said that 3 was going to be my last one. Paramount was letting me do PAIN AND GAIN and the Transformers ride was opening at Universal and it was bittersweet to think of passing it off. I wanted to set it up on a really sure footing and to bring someone else in on that, it would have been overwhelming.We keep the Transformers the way they were, it’s just four years later. There’s a reason the Transformers are redesigned. We’re trying to broaden the franchise and give it more places to go.”

Sounds great to me. I'm all for the continuation of such a visually rich franchise with some fresh content brought in. I'd like to see some solid storytelling in there too of course.

Friday, February 01, 2013

The only thing better than running zombies are running zombies in 3D and that's exactly what Paramount is giving us with WORLD WAR Z starring Brad Pitt.

At the end of the recent Super Bowl teaser TV spot it's clearly revealed that WWZ will be in 3D. Since we haven't heard a thing about a native 3D production shoot, then it must be a conversion and these days the studios are doing great things with conversions, so confidence is high in that WWZ3D will deliver the goods.

I am hoping for a great time at the movies with this production. WORLD WAR Z 3D opens on June 21. Here's the TV spot I was speaking of: